Peckham Palais club returns to Rye Lane — and it’s a no-go zone for smartphones

One of Peckham’s most beloved venues has re-opened after a near15 year absence — and has got a fresh lick of paint to go with it.

Peckham Palais on Rye Lane (or simply ‘Palais’ as it’s now known), boasts five floors, including a 470-capacity basement club room with a strict no-phones policy. There’s also The Ballroom cocktail and listening bar and an outside terrace, all with a naughtily-late 6am license.

The space has been revived by the Night Group — the same team that worked on Hackney’s Night Tales, NT’s Loft and Netil360) — over the course of three years, and has been designed to blend the old venue's charms with a refreshed and revamped feel.

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As such, there’s low lighting, leather banquettes, and patchwork woodwork, alongside from peeler paint work and graffiti-marked windows, weaved in with a 70’s style speakeasy vibe and mod-cons including a Funktion-One five-way sound system in the clubroom that rivals the best in Europe.

Peckham's past

It’s a welcome revival for a space with a storied history in the area. Established as a night club in 1980, it played host to predominantly house, dubstep and techno nights until its closure in 2011. But prior to that, the neo-Renaissance building had existed as a department store, dating back to 1897.

The listed building is now open again for business to revellers, with upcoming events including stints from Bradley Zero, Vladimir Ivkovic and the Disco Tehran night.

Fancy a visit? Peckham Palais can be found at 1a Rye Lane, SE15 5EW, and is open from 11pm to 6am on Friday and Saturday nights.

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